Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Surfboards Inc and Westcoast Surfboards

Above - Tony Cope, may '69 at Woolacombe .

I have been talking to Tony Cope over the last few weeks about a couple of North Devon surf labels I didn't know much about - namely Surfboards Inc. and Westcoast surfboards, made by 'Fitz' (Clinton Fitzgerald ) and associates in Woolacombe in the late 60s. I acquired a 7'6 Westcoast last year, which is incredibly light, and it turns out it was an identical board to what Tony, a team rider, was surfing for Westcoast.

Tony knows more than most about the Westcoast business -'Fitz took over Bob Powers` board business in 1967 & made ` SURFBOARDS INC. ` boards in 1967 - 68, changed the name to ` WESTCOAST SURFBOARDS ` in 1969, emigrated to S Africa early 1970, and sadly died in an accident in Capetown in `72.I worked & shared a house with him during this period, and am currently making a repro 1968 S.I. `v` bottom stubby for the Museum of British Surfing.The only Known S.I. board is fixed at an angle ( this was the only known one until another surfaced on ebay a few weeks ago ! ) to the ceiling inside the Red Barn cafe, in the centre of Woolacombe. It`s owned by Angus Ashford, of the Ashford family ( aka. Kelford Cafes ) who own the Barn.' (below)

Tony on his 7'6 team model Westcoast, the year it was made 1969. 'Practising on the LH reef at Easky, Ireland, a couple of days before their Open Champs, Sept `69 - a comp. won by Rod Sumpter. The Westcoast crew were 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, all riding these boards - me, Terry Hansen ( Aus ), & Roger Lyndon ( NZ ). '

This Surfboards Inc turned up on ebay, made around 1968 with nose concave and paisley patch - the strange arm of material probably hides holes in an imperfect Groves blank. Tony thinks the fin and red design are later. As the seller didn't give a make for the board it went for a song (your lucky day Henry).

This British Surfer no 2 cover features Tony (bottom) and Tigger Newling above. Tony wrote the Devon section in early British Surfers.

'The Westcoast logo is from a photo of Dru Harrison at Huntington Pier in California, which Fitz scammed off me . It`s a silhouette of a tight RH turn on a 4 ft wave. Westcoast is written horizontally with surfboards vertically down the LHS of the logo.If it`s an eliptical board with round tail & pointed nose, your board was made between March & Sept `69, & shaped by Fitz or Clive Barber ( SA ). Clive`s shapes are worth more, he was a world class shaper with his own factory in Capetown.They surf beautifully, the Westcoast Team used them with success, Barrie Charlesworth was 4th at Porthtowan, Steve Brown won the Welsh Open, I got 2 x 2nds & a 5th behind Sumpter or Nile ( Irish Open, N. Cornish, Welsh Open ).'

This was another Westcoast on ebay which went for top dollar, as most rare local boards tend to do. I really must restore mine !

'It`s a long story, but basically Westcoast split up early 70`s, due to probs in the surfing world.The new boards got too short too quickly, the average guy couldn`t ride them - in fact often couldn`t paddle them out the back, or even catch a wave.I stupidly did some magazine adverts to sell these 6 ft. things..... didn`t see it coming.Also drugs got a hold, a lot of 20-yr olds lost the will to do anything. Contests largely faded out as some of the hardcore surfers went ` soul-surfing`, ie. lay around smoking a joint .

Tony promoting a 6'6 model , British Surfer 1970. He later regretted the move away from the longer shapes.

Fitz closed Westcoast, got married & emigrated to SA, Hansen went back to OZ, Lyndon tried to make a few boards but went back to NZ later. Steve Brown migrated to W Australia, Barry Charlesworth got a restaurant in Barnstaple & only surfed occassionally. I got married too, & as I was a Surveyor, went to Bristol to work for a big construction company, as N Devon pay was poor .'

Tony Cope and Bob Groves with the first Surfboards Inc. v bottomed stubby, late 60s.

3 comments:

very interesting info and photos about a important time in surfboard development, so many thank Tony for spending the time documenting what was going on with Surboards Inc & Westcoast, and also Al for posting it on his blog.